CMO Lessons: Brand trust, creative strategy and agency audits—ICYMI

AI marketing brief: trust, creativity and careers—ICYMI

The industry is transforming in real time as AI growth impacts workflows, output and career paths from one moment to the next. Industry leaders are continually refining uses of AI platforms [https://adage.com/events-awards/tech-power-list/aa-favorite-ai-tools-2026-honorees/], best practices for prompting [https://adage.com/events-awards/tech-power-list/aa-ai-chatgpt-prompting-tips-emerging-tech-leaders/] and how to communicate new tech initiatives to teams [https://adage.com/events-awards/tech-power-list/aa-leadership-emerging-technology/]. As Ad Age honors trailblazers in innovation with the 2026 Tech Power List [https://adage.com/events-awards/tech-power-list/aa-winners-2026/], reporters and editors share their tips for where AI use can go right and wrong in marketing. This ICYMI roundup features Tech Reporter Asa Hiken [https://adage.com/ad-age-video-podcast/insider/aa-generative-ai-ads-what-works-what-backfires/], News Editor E.J. Schultz [https://adage.com/ad-age-video-podcast/insider/aa-2026-outlook-marketing-hype-vs-reality/], Creativity Editor Tim Nudd [https://adage.com/ad-age-video-podcast/insider/aa-creativity-trends-lessons-from-award-winning-work/], Influencer Reporter Gillian Follett [https://adage.com/ad-age-video-podcast/insider/aa-fruit-love-island-why-not-every-trend-needs-your-logo/] and Senior Agency Reporter Lindsay Rittenhouse [https://adage.com/ad-age-video-podcast/insider/aa-new-junior-talent-pipeline-in-advertising/]. They offer tips and tricks for topics ranging from consumers' primary AI fears to worst-case brand scenarios and the new talent pipeline conundrum. Listen to each episode in its entirety: ~Your AI ad playbook: red flags, hard lessons and brand wins, with Asa Hiken [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-ai-ad-playbook-red-flags-hard-lessons-and-brand/id1288654389?i=1000750641251] ~What's driving marketing impact: lessons from award-winning campaigns, with Tim Nudd [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-driving-marketing-impact-lessons-from-award-winning/id1288654389?i=1000763395177] ~Decoding 2026 hype vs. reality for marketers, with E.J. Schultz and Adrianne Pasquarelli [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/decoding-2026-hype-vs-reality-for-marketers-with-e-j/id1288654389?i=1000745412944] ~'Fruit Love Island' brand lessons: skip this viral trend, with Gillian Follett [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fruit-love-island-brand-lessons-skip-this-viral-trend/id1288654389?i=1000759019844] ~Agency hiring in the AI era: What grads need now, with Lindsay Rittenhouse [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agency-hiring-in-the-ai-era-what-grads-need-now/id1288654389?i=1000765282143]

CMO Lessons: Brand trust, creative strategy and agency audits—ICYMI

The checklist for effective marketing leadership has grown exponentially more complex—balancing trust and efficiency, growing loyalty in an age of skepticism and ensuring transparent agency relationships. Ad Age reporters share advice on all of these topics, and more, in this special edition of Ad Age Insider, which surfaces critical insights for CMOs across recent episodes. This ICYMI roundup features Creativity Editor Tim Nudd [https://adage.com/ad-age-video-podcast/insider/aa-creativity-trends-lessons-from-award-winning-work/], Reporter Erika Wheless [https://adage.com/ad-age-video-podcast/insider/aa-gen-z-loyalty-service-community-proof-of-quality/], News Editor E.J. Schultz [https://adage.com/ad-age-video-podcast/insider/aa-2026-outlook-marketing-hype-vs-reality/], Senior Reporter Brian Bonilla [https://adage.com/ad-age-video-podcast/aa-how-to-win-2026-account-reviews-social-first-ai-forward/], Reporter Ewan Larkin [https://adage.com/ad-age-video-podcast/aa-media-rebates-principal-buying-explained/] and Executive Editor Judy Pollack [https://adage.com/ad-age-video-podcast/insider/aa-how-to-the-win-a-list/]. Together, they make the case for why the power of the idea is more important than ever in an AI-saturated market, what Gen Z brand loyalty actually requires from marketers and what questions every CMO should be asking their agency right now. Listen to each episode in its entirety: ~What's driving marketing impact: lessons from award-winning campaigns, with Tim Nudd [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-driving-marketing-impact-lessons-from-award-winning/id1288654389?i=1000763395177] ~Winning Gen Z brand loyalty—quality, service and community, with Erika Wheless [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/winning-gen-z-brand-loyalty-quality-service-and/id1288654389?i=1000767929316] ~Decoding 2026 hype vs. reality for marketers, with E.J. Schultz and Adrianne Pasquarelli [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/decoding-2026-hype-vs-reality-for-marketers-with-e-j/id1288654389?i=1000745412944] ~How to win new business in 2026, with Brian Bonilla [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-win-new-business-in-2026-with-brian-bonilla/id1288654389?i=1000753536831] ~What are media rebates? Agency transparency in the hot seat, with Ewan Larkin [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-are-media-rebates-agency-transparency-in-the-hot/id1288654389?i=1000751894186] ~How to win the Ad Age A-List, with Judann Pollack [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-win-the-ad-age-a-list-with-judann-pollack/id1288654389?i=1000755060781]

Winning Gen Z brand loyalty—quality, service and community, with Erika Wheless

Consumer Trends Reporter Erika Wheless discusses the top factors that influence brand loyalty with Gen Z—including product quality, sustainability and customer service. Plus, the brands Gen Z considers luxury from Coach, Louis Vuitton and Gucci to Nike, Adidas, Lululemon, Amazon and Target. She breaks down tactics brands are using to translate product quality into marketing, brand missteps that have been called out by young consumers and tips for building brand loyalty with Gen Z. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~The data on how brands can build loyalty with Gen Z [https://adage.com/brand-marketing/aa-why-quality-marketing-resonates-gen-z/] ~How brands have successfully implemented product quality messaging [https://adage.com/brand-marketing/aa-gen-z-quality-marketing-coach-patagonia-milani-bogg-bag/] ~How rising gas prices are impacting brands [https://adage.com/brand-marketing/aa-gas-prices-impact-q1-2026-earnings-calls/] ~Get tickets to Ad Age's Small Agency Conference [https://www.adageevents.com/event/SACA2026/summary] ~Listen to Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast [https://adage.com/ad-age-video-podcast/marketers-brief/aa-netflix-magno-herran-brand-partnerships-upfronts/]

Inside the TV upfronts—winners and losers, measurement and AI, with Brandon Doerrer

Media Reporter Brandon Doerrer breaks down the trends defining this year's TV upfronts, including top questions to look out for from NBCUniversal, Disney, Amazon, Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery and more. He discusses how factors from outcomes-based measurement to agentic AI buying tech and short-form video formats in streaming will play into negotiations. Plus, how CMOs can ensure transparency around principal media buying in dealmaking. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~2026 TV Upfronts calendar ~What agentic AI means for upfront negotiations [https://adage.com/events-awards/tv-upfront/aa-agentic-ai-arrives-2026/] ~TV measurement changes impacting the upfront [https://adage.com/events-awards/tv-upfront/aa-tv-measurement-changes-ahead-of-upfronts/] ~Magnite's agentic media buying test with Disney [https://adage.com/media/media-buying-planning/aa-magnite-launches-buyer-agent/] ~What to ask about media transparency and the upfront [https://adage.com/events-awards/tv-upfront/aa-media-transparency-changes-2026/] ~Apply for the Ad Age Mid-Size Brand Leaders award [https://adage.com/events-awards/mid-size-brand-leaders/aa-2026-eligibility-deadline/] ~Listen to the Marketer's Brief podcast [https://adage.com/ad-age-video-podcast/marketers-brief/aa-brand-heritage-samsonite-vp-of-marketing/]

Agency hiring in the AI era: What grads need now, with Lindsay Rittenhouse

Senior Agency Reporter Lindsay Rittenhouse breaks down the complex entry-level job market, with examples of how agency leaders are rethinking junior work as AI automates tasks traditionally done by early-career hires. She digs into what skills recent grads need on their resume right now, the gap employers are finding in formal marketing education and how to stand out as the number of applicants far outweighs opportunities in the current market. Plus, data that shows [https://adage.com/agencies/aa-brian-wieser-2026-agency-forecast-update-report/] why the ad industry isn't struggling as much as Wall Street thinks it is, and how the CEO-CMO relationship has evolved [https://adage.com/brand-marketing/aa-cmo-ceo-relationship-working-and-needs-improvement/]. Dig deeper on the topics mentioned in this week's episode: ~How agencies are reshaping junior-level roles and training in the AI era [https://adage.com/agencies/aa-new-junior-ad-agency-jobs-in-wake-of-ai/] ~How to land a junior ad agency job—what leaders say works as roles change due to AI [https://adage.com/agencies/aa-how-to-land-a-junior-job-what-leaders-say-works/] ~Listen to Ad Age Insider's 2025 episode on AI and entry-level roles to hear how much has changed [https://adage.com/ad-age-video-podcast/insider/aa-ai-skills-required-entry-level-marketing-jobs/] ~Get tickets to Ad Age's Small Agency Conference [https://www.adageevents.com/event/SACA2026/summary] ~Listen to Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast [https://adage.com/ad-age-video-podcast/marketers-brief/aa-pizza-value-wars-dominos-cmo/]